BEAUMONT, Texas --
When Hurricane Harvey invaded the Gulf Coast of Texas,
Government agencies from 40 states converged to provide assistance. Although
Harvey delivered America its worst natural disaster, it also provided the
chance for some of America's bravest and brightest to shine through teamwork
and ingenuity.
Army National Guard and Civil Air Patrol units steadily
arrived from across the country to support the 147th Attack Wing, U.S. Coast
Guard Air Station Houston, local Civil Air Patrol, and other military units
stationed at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base, Texas.
The additional manpower and equipment allowed missions to
expand beyond rescues. The Army National Guard's Company B, 3rd Battalion,
238th Aviation Regiment, from Canton, Ohio, provided relief for another one of
Texas' biggest populations... cattle.
238th personnel loaded dozens of bales of hay into two
CH-47 Chinook helicopters before launching in search of livestock stranded by
flood waters. Before long, they found cattle on islands of high ground near Beaumont
in Jefferson County. The unit spent several hours each day delivering hay
wherever needed as they continued their mission of disaster assistance to
Texans... all Texans.